Insulated rail connection.



' No. 737,350. S v PAIE'NTBD AUG. 25, 1903.1

r S W. E. CLARK. 1

INSULATED RAIL CONNECTION.

APPLICATION FILBDJIAY 8, 1902;

N0 MODEL.

IN VENTOR:

, WITNESSES:

I No. 737,350.

* UNITED STATES;

Patented August 25, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. CLARK, OF CHARLESTOWVN, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO CONTINUOUS-RAIL JOINT COMPANY OF AMERICA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

a I INSULATED RAILQQNNECTION.

SPECIFICATION fo ming part of Letters Patent No. 737,350, dated August 25, 1903. Appli 'fion' fil d May 8, 1902. ;Serial Ilo ;-l.06, 437 (No model.)

To allwhom it may concern: I V

Be it known that I, WILLIAM CLARK, a,

citizen of the United States, residing at Charlestown, in the county of Sullivanand Stateof New Hampshire have invented oertain new and useful Improvements in Insu-f lated Rail Connections; andrl do hereby de-.

clare the followingtobe afull,*clear, and

exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled injftheart to which it appertains to makeand use the same, ref-I erence being had to the accompanying draw-"'- ing, and to letters of reference Emarked thereon, which form a partbf this specification.

The objects of this inventionare to'provide a compact, durablegafid efficient insulated connection for r'ailway rails to enable the metal connecting-plates to be easily rolled without undue expense, particularly in'the construction and maintenance of the (rolls,

and to secure otheradvautages andresults'; some of which may bereferredto hereinafter.

in connection with the description of the working parts. 7 1 o The invention consists in the improved insulated rail connection and in the arrange. ments and combinations of parts, all substantially as will be referred toihereinafter'in con rail, which is perforated to permit the passage therethrough of the bolts, and 0 indicates the flange extending horizontally in opposite directions from the bottom of said web.

M d 41 indicate two-blocks, bars, or billets of electrically insulating matter, preferably wood, which fit closely between the head and flange of the railand extend laterally out from the recesses betweensaid parts to a point approximately in vertical line with the outer edges of the flange c. Said blocks, bars, or

billets d are horizontally perforated in line or correspondence with the bolt-holes of the web and their upper and lower surfaces are providedwith inclined surfaces e and f to engage the head and flange of the rail, the said blocks bars, orbillets being thus of a wedge shape and adapted to be forced tightly into the recess doetween said parts whenthe bolts g are screwed up; 'At the outer sides of the said bars, bilflets, orblocks d the same are oppositely beveled, as at h' i, to receive correspondingly-inclined bearings of the plates jj, hereinafter referred to. Said plates j j each comprises a vertical perforatedflange la and outwardly and downwardly inclined. or curved web or 1 connection land an inward horizontal flange.

- The vertical flange is preferably provided at its inner side, at or near the top and bottom thereof, with longitudinal ribs 11 0, with in- ;clined bearings p q disposed oppositelyto form a recess with inclined upper and lower walls, into which the wedge-like outer sides of the block, billet, or bar 01 may enter and be rigidly 'w'edged and held. The outwardly curved or finclincd web or connection Z forms with the -.flange min each plate j a longitudinal groove nso disposed as to lie in the horizontal plane of the flangec, said groove being somewhat wider Vertically than the flange cat its edge,

so that a chamber may be formed around the 7 said flange edge, as indicated in the drawing. The curved or inclined web or connectionl forms a downwardly and outwardly inclined walls at the top of the groove '1', and thus the groove is flaring. Between the bottom of the rail or the flange 0 thereof and the flanges m m is interposed a piece of sheet insulation 25. This is somewhat wider than the flange c, and the opposite edges are bent or turned up and around the edges of said flange, and when. r

the bolts 9 are screwed up the returned parts to, engaging the walls 8, are forced downwardly hard against the top of said'flange. Thus the rail-flange is electrically insulatedfrom The bolt 9 when arranged through the holes of the parts I) (Z (l 7' j and the nut 10 thereof is screwed up, draws the several parts firmly together, and any wear on said parts may be taken up by further screwing.

I am fully aware that detail variations from my above-described construction may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, and I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself by all the positive descriptive expression employed herein, excepting as the state of the art may require.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is- The combination with the meeting ends of two rails, of fish-plates applied longitudinally on the opposite sides of said rails, each comprising a flat horizontal base member extending beneath the rail-base, a narrow doubled or V-shaped portion inclosing the outer edge of the rail-base flange, and a vertical portion extending upward from the top of said doubled portion parallel to the web of the rail and being longitudinally recessed at its side next the rail, a sheet of insulating material arranged between the bottom of the rail and the base members of the fish-plate and having its edges bent over the edges of the basefia nges of the rail within the doubled portions of the fish-plate, insulating blocks or billets between the webs of the rails and the vertical portions of the fish-plate, said blocks having longitudinal tapered ribs at their outer sides entering the recesses of the vertical portions of the fish-plates, and clamping-bolts extending transversely through said blocks or billets, vertical portions of the fish-plates and webs of the rails.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 10th day of April, 1902.

\VILLIAM E. CLARK.

\Vitnesses:

FRANK V. HAMLIN, SoPHLi E. CLARK. 

